Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold further discussions with telephone and broadband providers on increasing take up of broadband social tariffs.

Social tariffs are available in 99% of the UK from over 25 different providers to support those on Universal Credit and other means tested benefits to stay connected.

The Department meets regularly with providers of social tariffs to discuss awareness and take up and continues to work closely with Ofcom to encourage operators to do more to promote their social tariff offers to their customers. On 7 July 2023, Melanie Dawes, the Chief Executive of Ofcom, wrote to industry leaders to set out the regulator’s expectation that they take practical action to increase awareness.